A Microsoft app for iOS and Android devices that enables authentication with two-factor verification, phone sign-in, and code generation
If the attackers have changed the primary email, password, and all recovery/security info on a personal Microsoft account, recovery is only possible through the official hacked-account and recovery flows. If those fail, the account is not recoverable.
Follow these steps:
- Run malware/virus checks on all devices
- Before doing anything else, scan PCs and devices with an up-to-date antivirus or Windows Defender to ensure the attackers no longer have access to the device used to sign in.
- On Windows 10/11, use Windows Defender as described in the guidance: open Start, search for Windows Defender, and run a full scan.
- Use the official hacked/compromised account guide
- Follow the steps in How to recover a hacked or compromised Microsoft account. This includes:
- Scanning for malware (step 1).
- Changing the password if sign-in is still possible.
- Checking account settings such as connected accounts, forwarding, and automatic replies once access is regained.
- Follow the steps in How to recover a hacked or compromised Microsoft account. This includes:
- If sign-in is no longer possible, submit the account recovery form
- Use the account recovery process referenced in the hacked-account article and in the Q&A answers. Provide as much accurate information as possible (old passwords, services used, approximate creation date, etc.).
- If the form response says the information is insufficient, resubmit with any additional details remembered. If repeated attempts fail, the account cannot be recovered.
- If security info was replaced and you see a “security info change pending” message
- If able to reach the “security info change is still pending” screen, use the built-in options there:
- Cancel this request (only if that change was initiated personally and the old proofs are still accessible), or
- Let us know if the change was unauthorized, to trigger the unauthorized-change flow.
- If access to that screen is not possible and all proofs belong to the attacker, the system will treat the attacker as the owner once the 30‑day period completes, and there is no manual override.
- If able to reach the “security info change is still pending” screen, use the built-in options there:
- If the recovery form fails repeatedly
- For personal Microsoft accounts, support and moderators cannot bypass the automated recovery system or restore access when security info has been fully replaced by an attacker. In that case the account is effectively unrecoverable, and a new Microsoft account must be created.
- Protect other accounts and email addresses
- Assume the attackers have the email address and possibly passwords reused on other sites.
- For any other accounts that use the same email or password, immediately:
- Change to strong, unique passwords.
- Turn on multi-factor authentication wherever available.
- Follow the guidance for leaked email addresses: ensure strong, unique passwords and MFA on all accounts where that email is the username, and be extra cautious about phishing emails.
- For future protection
- Use multi-factor authentication (for example, Microsoft Authenticator) on all important accounts.
- Use strong, unique passwords and avoid reusing them across services.
- Regularly review recent activity and security settings on the Microsoft account once a new one is created.
If the attackers fully changed the sign-in email and all recovery methods and the official recovery form cannot verify ownership after multiple accurate attempts, there is no supported way to get that specific account back.
References:
- How to recover a hacked or compromised Microsoft account
- Hello , welcome to Account help & learning
- What to do if your email address is leaked
- What happens if there's an unusual sign-in to your account
- Respond to a compromised cloud email account
- My account got hacked - Microsoft Q&A
- My account got hacked. - Microsoft Q&A
- Need help with hacked microsoft account - Microsoft Q&A
- How do I send an email to Microsoft about my account being hacked and taken over by <removed> ? - Microsoft Q&A
- Hacker set up continuous draft ransomware email - Microsoft Q&A